BJP's ideological texts treat women as inferior, says Maharashtra Congress president

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP alleging that its ideological foundations treat women as inferior and questioning its stance on womenrsquos reservationSpeaking at a press conference in Mumbai Sapkal said the BJP had ldquono rightrdquo to speak on the issue unless it first distanced itself from certain ideological textsSapkal Targets BJPrsquos Ideological RootsSapkal claimed that the BJPrsquos ideology is influenced by texts such as Manusmriti and Bunch of Thoughts which he alleged promote a regressive view of women He challenged the party to publicly reject these works before advocating for womenrsquos rightsldquoThe party should first reject these texts and then speak on womenrsquos reservationrdquo he said adding that the BJP must clarify its ideological position if it wishes to be seen as a genuine supporter of womenrsquos empowermentHe also questioned the role of women within the broader ideological framework associated with the BJP suggesting that meaningful representation must begin within its own ecosystemReference to Historical StrugglesDrawing on historical context Sapkal referred to Savitribai Phule a pioneer of womenrsquos education in India He highlighted the resistance she faced when she established the countryrsquos first school for girls and alleged that such opposition stemmed from the same ideological stream he attributes to the BJPSapkal argued that acknowledging this history is essential to understanding presentday debates around gender equality and political representationCongress Claims Credit for Womenrsquos Reservation PushThe Congress leader asserted that his party has consistently championed womenrsquos empowerment He pointed out that the womenrsquos reservation legislation had already been passed in Parliament in 2023 with support from multiple partiesSapkal also highlighted Congressrsquos role in implementing reservation for women in local selfgovernment bodies stating that it initially introduced 33 per cent reservation and later increased it to 50 per cent in several statesHe accused the BJP of using the issue of womenrsquos reservation as a political tool rather than pursuing it with genuine intentCriticism Over Recent Political DevelopmentsReferring to the recent defeat of a constitutional amendment bill in the Lok Sabha Sapkal claimed the proposed legislation was linked to delimitation and accused the BJP of attempting to alter the countryrsquos political structureHe further alleged that the ruling party was trying to reshape the sociopolitical landscape of regions like Mumbai and Maharashtra for electoral gainsAllegations of Intimidation and Response to ControversySapkal also raised concerns about alleged intimidation of journalists He claimed that BJP workers had threatened media personnel who recorded and circulated a viral video showing a woman confronting Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan during a protest march in WorlildquoNeither Congress nor journalists should be intimidated by such threatsrdquo he said calling for accountability and protection of press freedomAdditionally Sapkal defended Mallikarjun Kharge over a controversy surrounding remarks attributed to him about Prime Minister Narendra Modi He alleged that Khargersquos statements were being misrepresented for political purposesSapkal also urged the Election Commission of India to take note not only of complaints against opposition leaders but also of the BJPrsquos conduct during elections in states such as Tamil Nadu West Bengal and Assam